This weekend I’m flying back to visit family
It’s an unexpected trip, and one I am not too excited about. With everything that’s happened, I really need some down time. But I also need to be mindful of the work vacation/sick day policy. This year, my goal is to stay within the acceptable limits of time off instead of going over by accident or necessity – aka big move or panic attacks or triggers or unexpected family stuff.

My grandma had bad accident late in January, and I couldn’t visit then because of the moving situation. She is not getting any younger and doing well with recovery/rehab, but I still feel like visiting sooner instead of later is important. More important than taking a vacation or personal down time to recover from recent experiences.
At the same time, I also need to take care of myself.

Hence the hotel. And spending a few days working and connecting with positive people in my network. I hope it balances out visiting people on my mother’s side of the family too. And potentially running into my father, brother, mother, etc.
My Self Care Kit goes a little like this:
For flying
- Warm comfortable outfit
- Aromatherapy inhalers my friend made me
- Wireless noise-cancelling headphones + charger/cord
- E-books/music saved on my phone + phone charger/cord
- External Battery for electronic devices (fully charged) + charger/cord
- 1 carry on suitcase + 1 personal bag/backpack
- Empty water bottle; chocolate/snacks
- Crystals for grounding, serenity, protection, and mental clarity
For Family
- Crystals for grounding, protection, courage, and mental clarity
- Warm, comfortable clothes and accessories in my favorite colors
- Personal computer with cord for distractions or grounding
- Chocolate and other grounding stuff
- Extra warm layers in my backpack in case the house is cold
For Being Where I Grew Up
- Restaurants with reasonably priced comfort food
- Room service for times I don’t want to leave the hotel
- A plan for getting around town – aka public transit card, GPS, and rideshare apps
- A plan for getting to and from hotel, airport, and work with minimal anxiety
- Soothing kit that fits in my purse for environmental triggers
- Fully charged phone with hotline and support phone numbers in case of emergency
And an ESCAPE Plan for everything else.
Things for ME to remember:
- CBT will help me stay grounded in the present
- DBT is my best, most effective communication tool
- No matter what, I am an adult now and can leave ANY time I want
- Safety first always
- Travel light, but stay warm
- Connecting flights are scary, but doable without checked luggage
- Cramped, middle airplane seats are scarier, but necessary for my budget (sigh)

Wish me luck! Next post will be coming from a hotel and/or a family member’s house.
Thanks for reading!